Recent Posts

The Fed and IMF again downgraded US growth projections, as they have done repeatedly for the last five years. When the Federal Reserve and the IMF downgraded their forecasts for the US’ growth in 2014 last week, both bodies pointed to the terrible winter weather (that brought the term ‘Polar Vortex’ into the nation’s vocabulary) […]

Zero-down payment mortgages in China suggest an increasingly risky Chinese financial system, with symptoms similar to those seen leading up to the U.S. credit crisis. Home buyers all over China, from Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the south to Beijing in the north, are being offered zero-down-payment mortgages to cover their real estate acquisitions, recalling memories of the US subprime […]

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has moved onto the Kurdistan Regional Governorate’s doorstep, killing and plundering its way from Mosul to near Baghdad. Some champions of Kurdistan see opportunity, all the while Iraq faces an existential threat. This article is part of a GRI series on ISIL, Iraq, and the Middle East. As ISIL moved […]

Moldova’s upcoming elections in November present short-term and long-term political risks. Here are five specific events to watch in the coming months. 1. Short-term support for the European Union The situation in Moldova has been one of overwhelming support for accession to the European Union in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. The ruling Liberal Democratic coalition has […]

Iran’s relations with South America under former president Ahmadinejad now face a decline in economic cooperation, as Iran mends its ties with the United States. Will improved relations between Iran and the West have economic consequences for South America? As attention turns to Iran’s tentative cooperation with its geopolitical rival, the United States, in efforts to combat […]

ISIL has conquered substantial territory in past weeks, but also gained new enemies. The increased focus on and military contra against ISIL means that the group cannot continue for long. This article is part of a GRI series on ISIL, Iraq, and the Middle East. In the coming months, the gains made by The Islamic State […]

ISIL is proving to be not just a political threat to Iraq, but an economic one too. Nevertheless, Iraq-Turkey trade and investment prospects will not suffer as ruinous a decline as some fear. This article is part of a GRI series on ISIL, Iraq, and the Middle East. As the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) […]

It was fashionable in 2007 to label the Iraq War as the next Vietnam. It was easy to draw parallels – weak local allies, a post-invasion quagmire, insurgency, inability to win the “hearts and minds” led pundits to declare the Iraq War as ‘Vietnam 2.0.’ With a major crisis unfolding in the past week, it […]

Some markets have avoided rigid laws and regulations as a comparative advantage. But that has changed lately. Compliance has gained in importance worldwide as laws approved in one corner of the world can affect distant markets. The Middle East is no exception. The Middle East may not be a very stable region, but some of its countries […]

From Brazil to South Africa and beyond, disputes threaten to disrupt the extractive industry. More than ever, mining firms need to address their social and environmental costs in a sustainable way to quell them. All eyes are on the pitches of Brazil where the world’s top footballers are currently battling against one another. But another fight […]